From absenteeism to Israeli land deals and whistleblower assassinations, ministers faced tough questions in a fiery parliamentary plenary.
Ministers faced tough questions in the National Assembly’s hybrid plenary, where MPs challenged absentee ministers, foreign land ownership, Israel’s war on Palestine, and whistleblower assassinations.
The Peace and Security Cluster ministers appeared before the National Assembly in a hybrid plenary for a questions-for-oral-reply session.
Concern about minister absenteeism
The question and answer session kicked off with EFF MP Hlengiwe Mkhaliphi raising concerns about the ministers who were supposed to answer oral questions but are not present in person.
The National Assembly Deputy Speaker Annelie Lotriet also expressed her dissatisfaction.
“It is not acceptable that the ministers are not present when these questions are planned long before. We know that things happen, but I think preference should be given to what happens in this house, where ministers are held accountable through questions,” Lotriet said.
Allegations of Israeli nationals buying land and property
MK Party MP Mariam Be Be Muhammad raised concerns about Israeli nationals allegedly buying land and property in South Africa, questioning the vetting process to prevent a “Trojan horse” for foreign influence.
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Minister of Home Affairs Dr. Leon Schreiber responded by providing statistics. He said there were 9 287 arrivals in 2024 compared to 9 115 departures from January 2025 to 11 September 2025.
Schreiber emphasised that only 0.07% of all arrivals in South Africa in 2025 were from Israel, and there have been slightly more departures than arrivals.
The minister emphasised the importance of using actual evidence over personal observations.
“South Africa is on a quest to drive investment. We are not a country that wants to say that people should not be able to invest in South Africa,” Schreiber said.
Israel-Palestine conflict and SA’s ICJ case
Staying on Israel, Al Jama-ah MP Imraan Ismail-Moosa expressed worries about the Israeli government’s alleged genocide against Palestinians.
Ismail-Moosa asked Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Alvin Botes whether South Africa should review its referral to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to include a call for UN intervention and a ceasefire.
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In response, Botes mentioned South Africa’s diplomatic and legal efforts to ensure Israel adheres to the Genocide Convention and the ICJ’s orders.
Ismail-Moosa asked a supplementary question about South Africa cutting diplomatic relations with Israel due to serious war crimes.
The deputy minister explained the country’s diplomatic downgrading, including recalling diplomatic personnel from Tel Aviv and the formation of a group of like-minded countries to impose measures against Israel.
Deokaran case and whistleblowers
DA MP Ian Cameron asked acting Minister of Police Professor Firoz Cachalia about the assassination of Tembisa Hospital whistleblower Babita Deokaran and the delays in the progress of the case.
Cachalia said the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks) is prioritising the investigation in consultation with appointed prosecutors.
He said the investigation team is following multiple leads and treating each piece of evidence with care, including forensic investigations on laptops and cell phones of people linked to the case.
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Watch the Peace and Security Cluster questions for oral reply here:
“I have been informed that no evidence was ignored by the investigating team. My office will continue to monitor the case,” Cachalia said.
Corruption and assassination cases
The acting minister said he was alarmed by the rising trend of assassinations of whistleblowers, and has directed the National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola to monitor these cases.
He was also asked for quarterly public updates on high-profile corruption and assassination cases. Cachalia emphasised the importance of proper investigation and prosecution.
“I have raised this matter with the National Commissioner in writing, asking for regular updates. I will certainly be more than willing to share information with MPs,” he said.
The acting minister said the one caveat is that he cannot share information that will compromise ongoing investigations.
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